Brabec Bulletin Tidbits on Life
April 16, 2025
2025 Banished Words List
Proof of King David’s Existence
Music in the Public Domain
Thoughts on Time Management
Following the Aurora
2025 Banished Words List
Each year, Lake Superior University proudly reveals its lighthearted list of banned words that shines the spotlight on words and terms that are overused, misused, or simply unnecessary. This year’s news release says “It offers a moment to laugh, pause, and consider how we can be more mindful of the language we use every day.”
For this year’s list and the archive of banished words by year from 1979 to present, visit this page.
I quickly scanned the banned word lists going back ten years and cringed several times when I found a word I’m still using today. (Oops! “Cringe” is on this year's list.) Sigh. Old habits are hard to break.
Proof of King David’s Existence
Podcaster Erick Stacklebeck often reports on fascinating archaeological discoveries in Israel that date back 2700 years. In this video, he is joined by Danny “The Digger” Herman at Tel Dan in northern Israel to break down two of the most important archaeological discoveries in Israel’s history: a close look at a place of great Biblical significance—the oldest man-made archway in human history, known as “Abraham’s Gate”—plus, rock-solid proof for the existence of King David, found in the famous Tel Dan inscription.
Engraved in stone by a king mentioned in the Bible is that he had just won a decisive battle over a king from the House of David, with a mention of the city of Jerusalem. What the narrator said in this video is that this discovery “affirms the biblical connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem and the authenticity of the Bible.” I find this exciting news!
Music in the Public Domain
Ever wondered if you could use the lyrics to a song in a book without worrying about copyright infringement? Many writers do not know that song lyrics are copyrighted and writers must get permission to use even one line in a book. The music industry is particularly vigilant about going after violators, so be careful. This article offers a good overview of what you need to know about sharing lyrics online.
The good news is that thousands of old songs are now in the public domain and you can search for them on PD Info (Public Domain Information Project). This site contains a wealth of music-related copyright information, but what most of you might want will be found on this “List of Public Domain Music.” Any song published in 1928 or earlier is in the Public Domain in the USA, and you can quickly search for specific song titles on this page.
Note that sound recordings are a different thing entirely. They couldn’t begin to enter the public domain until January 1, 2022, and due to the extended copyright protection given to creators, the first ones won’t enter public domain until 2046. But if you really need a sound recording, many music recordings and MIDI files can be licensed as “royalty-free music.” With payment of a reasonable one-time license fee, you can use the music repeatedly without further charge.
Thoughts on Time Management
Like money management, time management requires an awareness of how much you have to spend. Although it takes time to plan how to spend time, such planning generally saves more time than it takes. You need to know not only how much time it’s going to take to do various tasks related to your work or business, but also how you’re going to find more time later on when things heat up. And they will.
As a popular poster proclaims, “I try to take one day at a time, but lately, several days have attacked me at once.” – Barbara’s book, Homemade Money
Following the Aurora
If you would love to see the Aurora Borealis, first visit this page, which features a video of the Aurora from the Weather Channel. It will introduce you to photographer Vincent Ledvina, “The Aurora Guy,” who closely follows the aurora forecast that is updated every 30 minutes by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Every 30 minutes, NOAA provides a 30 to 90-minute forecast of the location and intensity of the aurora. Two maps show the North and South poles of Earth, respectively.
I did not know that the aurora is an indicator of the current geomagnetic storm conditions and directly impacts high-frequency radio communication and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It can also impact the electric power transition. For a discussion of the aurora phenomena and tips for where you might view aurora at various locations around the world, visit this link.
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